The Sound of Solidarity

Trump, Russia and the carve-up of Ukraine

Jasmine Ali explains why Donald Trump is ending the US proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. She argues that the Russian invasion and three-year war that followed are products of inter-imperialist rivalry.
This talk was delivered in Melbourne on 6 March 2025.
Read more about Ukraine.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Beyond the binary: transgender liberation and socialism

Trans rights are under attack. Casey Forsyth explains why our rulers are so keen to promote transphobia and how we can defeat it and win a world of trans liberation.
Read more about the fight against transphobia.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Robodebt: war on the poor

Robodebt saw more than 526,000 people told they had Centrelink debts, even though it simply wasn’t true.
To unpack this piece of bureaucratic bastardry, we talk to journalist Rick Morton, who has written a book about Robodebt called Mean Streak, published by HarperCollins.
Rick is the Saturday Paper’s senior reporter. He won two Walkley Awards for his coverage of the Robodebt royal commission and he is the author of an earlier book, One Hundred Years of Dirt.
Also joining us is Solidarity member Tom Orsag, a victim of the Robodebt scandal.
Read more about welfare attacks.
Find out more about Solidarity.
Buy a copy of Mean Streak.

Trump, imperialism and a world in turmoil

Solidarity editor James Supple assesses a world in turmoil, the impact of Trump's election and the potential for a fightback against the rise of the right.
Read more about Trump.
Find out more about Solidarity.

I was there: the Battle of Waterdale Road

John (Janusz) Ebel was a student at La Trobe University in 1970 and active in the movement against the Vietnam War. He burned his draft card, helped lock up a Liberal Minister, was shot at and took part in the Battle of Waterdale Road, when police ambushed and bashed student activists.
Read more about the Vietnam War.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Left wing communism: an infantile disorder

David Glanz discusses Lenin's 1920 pamphlet, Left wing communism: an infantile disorder, its importance then and its relevance today.
Read the pamphlet.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Trump: instability, reaction and resistance

Jonathan Sherlock discusses Trump 2.0 - how Trump won, the threat he poses and the potential for resistance.
Read more about the fight against Trump.
Find out more about Solidarity.

The Second International, war and revolution

Jean Parker looks at how the debates between reformists and revolutionaries played out in the Second International, the grouping of socialist parties on the eve of the First World War, and their relevance for today.
Read more about the Second International.
Find out more about Solidarity.

I was there: the Austudy 5

In 1992, the then Labor government announced it would cut student support, Austudy, from its already derisory level. Thousands of students took to the streets.
In Melbourne, the police counter-attacked by arresting five socialists. It took more than two years but a significant defence campaign led to all the major charges being dropped.
Among the five were Marcus Banks and Jonathan Sherlock and we’re talking with them today.
View images from the defence campaign.
Read more about student struggles.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Do workers in the West benefit from imperialism?

David Glanz challenges some common arguments that workers in Australia and the West benefit from the exploitation of the Global South. He argues that workers everywhere have common interests, laying the basis for a common struggle against the system.
Read more about imperialism.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Fighting for the right to protest in 1970s Queensland

Solidarity member Judy McVey took part in organising the campaign for the right to march in Queensland. Judy talks about why the ban on marches was put in place, how the campaign was organised and what debates took place inside it, how victory was won and what this means today.
Read more about struggle in Queensland.
Find out more about Solidarity.
This episode is republished with permission of the People's History of Australia, a podcast covering Australian labour and social movements.
Read the full show notes and find out more about the podcast series.

Sudan—civil war and revolution

Luke Ottavi describes the revolutionary process that shook Sudan and gave hope to millions before it faltered and created space for ruling class factions backed by regional powers to fight for power and wealth. He points to the politics needed to ensure that the next mass upsurge ends in victory for workers and the poor.
Read more about Sudan.
Find out about Solidarity.

The struggle against anti-Aboriginal racism in 1920s and 1930s Australia

Solidarity member Paddy Gibson discusses socialist anti-racist theory in the 19th century, its flaws and how it was modified and challenged by the Communist Party of Australia during the 20th century, and the amazing campaigns led by the Communist Party against anti-Aboriginal racism during the 1920s and 1930s.
Read more about Aboriginal resistance.
Find out more about Solidarity.
This episode is republished with permission of the People's History of Australia, a podcast covering Australian labour and social movements.
Read the full show notes and find out more about the podcast series.

US, Australia: the fight for abortion rights today

Abortion rights are under attack in the US and Australia. Why is the right fixated on controlling women's bodies? How can we fight back? Judy McVey, author of the Solidarity pamphlet, Abortion: The fight that’s still to be won, discusses the issues.
Read more about the fight for abortion rights.
Buy the book, Marxism and Women’s Liberation.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Why hasn’t the US restrained Israel?

Some say it is the influence of the Zionist lobby in the US that explains America's unwavering support for Israel.
But David Glanz argues that the real reason is that the US sees Israel as an indispensable ally in a region of huge strategic importance.
Read more about Palestine.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Why did Trump win and how should the left respond?

Julie Monteiro explains how the Democrats paved the way for Trump and how building mass resistance is the key to turning the tide on reaction.
Read more about US politics.
Find out more about Solidarity.

I was there: ANU student occupation 1994

Thirty years ago, in September 1994, students at the Australian National University in Canberra occupied the chancellery building for eight days. 
Tom Orsag was working in Canberra at the time and was an active supporter of the occupation. Here he tells the story of the struggle.
Read more about student struggles.
Find out more about Solidarity.
 

Revolution and the Middle East: can Israel survive?

Paddy Gibson looks at the potential for revolt against Israel's genocide and also against the Arab leaders who are helping make it possible.
Read more about Palestine.
Find out more about Solidarity.
This talk was given at Solidarity's Resist and Rebel conference in Sydney on 24 August 2024.

I was there: S11 2000 - lessons for direct action

On 11 September 2000 (known as S11), 10,000 people surrounded the World Economic Forum in Melbourne and shut it down.
In the wake of the recent action against Land Forces, David Glanz discusses the lessons of S11 for organising effective direct action today.
Read more about direct action.
Find out more about Solidarity.

Unions and the fight against homophobia

In this episode, Graham Willett and Geraldine Fela share stories about how the union movement has stood up against homophobia.
Graham Willett is a recovering academic, a socialist and an historian. He has been involved in groups as diverse as the Gay Community News collective, ACTUP and the Australian Queer Archives.
Geraldine Fela is a labour movement historian and author of Critical Care: Nurses on the frontline of Australia's AIDS crisis. She is also a member of Solidarity.
Read more about the fight against homophobia.
Find out more about Solidarity.
This talk was recorded at a forum hosted by the Melbourne branch of Solidarity on 26 September.